The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-11-29

Y An Excellent Method ofKeeping
Sweet Potatoes Through the
Winter, Etc.
sweet Potatoes.

write confidently on this subject,
rom experience and from in
spccting the cellars Of large CONNER
,ial growers. Ninetenths OF those who
:aisc sweet potatoes suppose that if
'rost kills the vines and they are not
mt OF at once, the crop Is ruined and
will not keep. and 1t is common TO see
armers working till dark cutting the
Wines from their sweet potatoes II they
Anticipate frost; or out at daylight the
xt morning working to get them cut
VI before the sun willis them. A gentle
han near Marietta. Ohio. who raises
|and winters from 1900 to 1000 bushels.
ellis me he considers frost an advant-
age. rs at kills the vines and hastcns
he maturity OF the crop. The essentials
% insure keeping are: |. That the pota-
,ocs he fully mature; SO 1t Is not advis-
iblc 70 dig too early. 2. Careful hand
ing; II will not answer to plow them
,ut. cutting and bruising them. and
hen pour from baskets and shovel
hem us you would common potatoes.
J. Dig in sunny weather, so that all
external moisture will be quickly and
thoroughly dried; and they should be
AIKEN 1T once to the place where they
are to be kept, for tho less they are
handled the better they will keep. If
large quantity is to be put in a cellar
artificial heat will be needed and no
packing used among them. When only
family supply is to be put away /
would wrap each one separately in news
paper, pack in boxes or barrels and
jprinklc layers of perfectly dry sawdust
oetween the layers of potatoes and 10
Seep them all winter II is necessary
shat they be in room with fire heat.
The range of temperature may be from
ZOE to coo, but the nearer you can
Keep to SOC the better; and for short
lime il may go a few degrees below
20 Q or above 60 without danger.
A large bulk of sweet potatoes in a
cellar, filling it nearly full. will gener-
lte their own heat, and when first put
N the temperature will rise in the bin
b 75e to 800, and il will be necessary
10 Keep the cellar open so rs to give
and all through the winter
there must be provision for, and atten-
lion paid 10 ventilation. / visited in
February. when the mercury was 29'
below zero, cellar containing 1900
bushels, and on entering the barn-room
abovc them found u circular hole large
enough so that hogsbead was fitted
INTO il for ventlator. This hogshead
had both heads removed and was stuffed
with hav TO keep the cold from settling
down in the cellar and that morning
il was smoking like furnace. Enter
ing the cellar found the sweet pota-
Toes stored in bins six feet square, made
with Slated sides so as to leave cracks
.wo inches wide at intervals of three
inches. No packing or absorbent
was used with the potatoes except
that the top was covered about
three inches deep with plaln-mill
shavlngs, and these were almost
dripping wet, but on carefully opening
them down TO the potatoes they were
Try and fresh and plump as the day
they were dug. The air of the cellar
was so moist that the water stood in
drops all over the ceiling, and dripped
down the posts that supported the bins.
LOp looking at the Thermometer ! found
hat the temperature was 500. There
Seems to be no difficulty whatever in
keeping sweet potatoes II these con-
ditions are complied with. The cellar
ought to be rat-proof as rats will be likly
TO damage the potatoes badly. Sweet
potatoes kept without fire lose little by
shrinkage. are not liable to rot so
quickly when taken out of storage in
spring as those kept by fire heat. Cor
respondent Of Ncg York Tribune.